USA Weightlifting is today launching a new eight week virtual competition - the Summer Series ©USA Weightlifting

USA Weightlifting (USAW) is today launching an eight week virtual competition with prizes for the top five male and female competitors at the end of the series.

Submissions for the 2020 Summer Series will be ranked based on a vote by the public with prizes given to the top five in each gender at the end of August.

The competition, presented by USAW sponsor Caffeine and Kilos, is open to all USAW members, but cannot be used to qualify for competitions sanctioned by the organisation.

The Summer Series is the latest example of USAW being innovative with online enterprises during the coronavirus pandemic.

There has been qualifying for USAW competitions, and an online training camp for highly ranked youth and junior lifters.

The Stars and Stripes Lift Off, a virtual competition, is running throughout July.

USAW also went online with coaching courses, strength and conditioning coaching tutorials for other sports, and a Speaker Series with speakers from around the world.

For the first time it selected international teams via Zoom.

The competition for week one - July 6 to 12 - is 125 per cent bodyweight max reps front squat.

Week two competition is 100 per cent bodyweight max reps complex, featuring one power clean, one squat clean and two jerks.

The third week of competition is 50 per cent bodyweight Sotts Press.

The halfway point comes at the end of week four of the competition - July 27 to August 2 - with the workout that week 100 per cent bodyweight max reps three position snatch.

Week five features the 175 per cent bodyweight max reps deadlift, with straps allowed in this workout.

In week six there is another complex workout, a 125 per cent bodyweight max reps complex, featuring one squat clean, two front squats and one jerk.

The penultimate week of competition, week seven, features a final complex workout, a 75 per cent bodyweight max reps complex, featuring one squat snatch, one hang snatch and one overhead squat.

Week eight, the final workout of the competition, is between August 24 and 30, and features 100 per cent bodyweight max reps thrusters.

Videos will be featured each week on USA Weightlifting's Instagram page.

Entry to the competition costs $25 (£20/€22) and all participants are required to record themselves stepping on the scales before or after completing each challenge.

The winners will receive prize packages from various USA Weightlifting sponsors.